Imagine coming home to the U.S. from a wonderful trip to the beautiful city of Montréal. As you make your way through customs, the agent asks you for your phone and password. Your passport is no longer good enough. He then takes a moment to flip through all your contacts, looks at your Facebook contacts and interactions, sees if you have Twitter and then takes a glance at your email. Perhaps before handing you back your phone and granting you access to cross the border, he peruses through all your photos. If you don’t do this you can’t get back home. Would you, as an ordinary American, be OK with this? Because there is speculation that we are about one and a half steps from this sort of thing becoming the norm.
Privacy.
As an avid tech enthusiast (what kind of enthusiast wouldn’t be avid?), I am starting to become a little paranoid about my online activity, especially in light of the fact that I’ve become rather outspoken on Twitter about the Trump Presidency.
I’ve started using a couple of tools in my online arsenal to make my experience with the Internet a little bit safer, and I thought I would share these with you.
Private Tunnel
Private Tunnel is a service that provides VPN (Virtual Private Network) connectivity to the Internet. This basically “hides” your location by routing all of your network traffic encrypted through a remote server. It also assures that all communication between you and the remote server is encrypted. This is particularly important when you are on the road using public hotspots.
Private Tunnel is free up to a certain amount of bandwidth and I found their subscription model to be affordable for my needs. The software client is available for a number of platforms which includes Windows, MacOS, iOS and Android. At the very least I use this service for all monetary transactions. I routinely use it for all other browsing, especially if I’m using a public, unsecured network.
For more information, check out their webpage here. If you decide to go with a subscription, help me out by using this link. I believe my unlimited data plan was $29/year.
Better
Better is an iOS and MacOS Safari Extension that helps block all trackers, ads and the like while surfing the Internet on Safari.
While many of the ad blockers available for the various browsers do a decent job of blocking ads and the like, many are still supported by ad companies, which are placed on a “white list”, so their ads still get through to you. Better is not supported by any ad company or Venture Capitalist, so they have no obligation to anyone. Development is based solely on the purchase of the app or extension.
This blog entry better (heh) describes Better and if you’re interested in making your online activities untargeted, ad free and lighter (because all of that ad data is blocked from coming down your network connection) you should definitely check out Better. Link to the Mac App Store and Link to the App Store (for iPhone and iPad).
1Password
I’ve written before that no one should be using the same password across multiple sites. You should never have the same password for Twitter as for your email as for Facebook, etc. If someone has your password they’re able to get into everything and that’s not good.
Safari and other web browsers do a decent job of coming up with random passwords and storing this information for you, which in turn is stored behind another password to keep it all safe. The thing is, if you use both Windows and Mac or both iOS and Android, your saved Safari (or other browser) passwords may not sync between the dissimilar operating systems. Yes, Google Chrome works on just about everything, but remember, Google’s livelihood is supported by your data. You are not the customer, you are the product, so you probably should have another way of keeping track of all your passwords. Don’t write them down, put them in 1Password.
1Password is available for Mac, Windows, iOS and Android. 1Password has a variety of sync options to choose from and no one but you can decrypt the data stored in your 1Password profile, so if you lose the password, you’ve lost your vault.
Their subscription model is quite affordable and I noticed that they now have a family plan available as well. Earl uses 1Password and finds it easy to use. I encourage users to keep their stuff safe with dissimilar passwords across platforms and to store them somewhere safe. 1Password definitely fits the bill.
FYI, the password to my 1Password account is over 25 characters long. I keep my stuff SAFE.
This is just the start of my arsenal of security tools. If you have any questions, please leave a comment below or feel free to drop me a line.
Safe surfing for all!
Surgery, Part 1.
I am having surgery today. This surgery is part of the saga that has been going on for most of my life, and the subject matter might make some readers uncomfortable. I share these things so that others that share my issues may read about my experiences. I will not be offended if you do not complete this blog entry.
For some reason, many doctors suspect that it was because I might have rammed my parts into my bike when I was young kid, I have scar tissue that likes to grow in my urethra. This is not hugely uncommon among men; the scar tissue is called a stricture and it makes it difficult to urinate. Don’t worry, everything else is functional and I’m happy in the sex department.
I have had four surgeries to remove the scar tissue to open things back up. They started back when I was 13 years old so, with surgery in 1982, 1986, 2005 and 2015. Since the last surgery in 2015 I have used a catheter on a daily basis to keep things open. In the back of my mind I knew it was a stop gap measure and there have been times that I’ve had to use the catheter two or three times a day to keep things feeling and working the way they should. Shortly before Christmas the catheter went the wrong way, I had a lot of blood come out and then scar tissue started filling in the gap again.
In the 2015 entry I mention that there is another procedure that they can do that should correct the problem permanently. This involves taking some skin from the inside of my mouth and grafting it where the scar tissue is in my urethra, thus completely eliminating the scar tissue instead of just cutting it back and hoping that it doesn’t come back. My urologist wanted to do this procedure the last time but it was summer time and I wasn’t in the mood to be down for the count for 10 weeks or so during the summer, so I opted out. It wasn’t a mistake, but it ultimately just delayed the inevitable.
So this morning I am having what is called a Supra-pubic catheter put in so things can “calm down” in my urethra. This catheter will be a small tube between my belly button and my junk. I figure if folks fighting cancer can have ports installed to go through chemotherapy, I can run around with a pee tube for five weeks. So after today and through March if we talk face to face, I could be peeing in your presence and you wouldn’t even know it.
In March, if all goes to plan, I will be having the second surgery, where they’ll do the skin graft thing and rebuild the parts that are currently damaged. I will then have two catheters for a few weeks, a traditional one that makes some men shutter and the other pee tube that I’m getting today, the latter being the backup plan if something goes wrong after the reconstructive surgery.
When all is said and done, I should be as good as new. I should be able to pee across a football field and if I don’t have one of those handy, at the very least blow toilets off the wall like a superhero but without the laser beams.
The success rate of this type of procedure is 90%-95% for long-term success and as all the medical information I’ve read on the Internet says, “should be considered the gold standard as a solution for this type of problem.” The previous surgeries have a very low long term success rate so it’s comforting to know that my body is behaving just as doctors expect.
I’m apprehensive about the length of time for the procedures and the recovery; when all is said and done it’ll be like 11 weeks of prep and recovery time. But, other than a couple of weeks after the reconstruction part in March, I should be able to carry on just as I do today, albeit with just a little extra hardware. I did it before in 2015 and I can do it again in 2017.
I’m looking forward to not living with this issue anymore; all my life when I’ve had to go the bathroom I’ve had to say a little prayer, “please let everything work”.
From now on I know that everything should just work.
Mary.
In November 2013 I took a solo trip to Minneapolis because I had never been there and it was a non-stop flight from Syracuse on Delta. It was the first time I ever sat in First Class.
I planned on just exploring the city and picked out a reasonably priced hotel downtown. Much of downtown Minneapolis is connected by the Skywalk, which allows one to walk from building to build throughout the downtown area without ever going outside. When I left the hotel on my first exploration of the Skywalk, I suddenly realized that I was staying adjacent to the IDS Center, which was the location of many shots from the opening to The Mary Tyler Moore Show.
I found the escalator that Mary had used.
I had to take my own photo.
Then I looked up and saw the restaurant where Mary and her then husband Grant Tinker are having lunch in the opening credits.
I ate lunch in the “Mary Tyler Moore booth” that day.
I was absolutely delighted to find this piece of Americana while visiting Minneapolis. That trip was life changing for me, for it was during that trip that I decided that it was time to become a private pilot.
Mary Tyler Moore passed away at age 80 today. I’ve always enjoyed her show and hearing the theme song and seeing clips from the show has made me smile today.
Love is all around. Thanks for the smiles, Mary. RIP.
Multipass.
So who wants to wager how long it will be before the Trump Administration starts pushing for a national “Multipass” type credential card for every citizen of the United States? I’ll admit that I have a tin foil hat in my closet that seems to not be gathering dust lately, but if you take a step back from the insanity spewing from the White House, you can see the signs where such a scenario is quite plausible. A National registration card using the latest technology for this sort of thing would be a wet dream for Trump and his efforts.
- Trump wants to deport illegal immigrants. No Multipass? Out you go.
- Trump is still carrying on about alleged election fraud, despite the fact that there is no evidence that massive election fraud took place during last November’s election. No Multipass? No vote.
- Trump wants to take our border security to the next level. No Multipass? You’re not getting back in the U.S.
And this is just the tip of the iceberg. How long would it be before you had flash your Multipass to get into a sporting event or a concert or the mall? With embedded RFID technology in the Multipass, every citizen of the United States could be tracked at any given time. Why go through the hassle of bugging the telecoms or tech companies for access to smartphones and other devices when you can just track the Multipass? You wouldn’t even know when your Multipass is being scanned. Have a scanner in the mall and Johnny is at Destiny USA. Bomb goes off at Destiny USA, let’s round up everyone that was in the area where the bomb went off.
Craziness, right? Don’t be so quick to dismiss.
Now, I would use every ounce of voice that I have to dismiss such an act. One of the many perks of being an American is the fact that we can move freely about the country without constantly being tracked. But if there’s enough hysteria, enough lies and enough spin, I could totally see Trump supporters backing such legislation. And we know that Trump is really good at lies and his folks are really good at spin.
Scary times, people. Scary times. I feel like I should start practicing, “J.P. Wing Multipass”.
Truth.
Without debate, without criticism, no Administration and no country can succeed — and no republic can survive. … And that is why our press was protected by the First Amendment — the only business in America specifically protected by the Constitution — not primarily to amuse and entertain, not to emphasize the trivial and the sentimental, not to simply “give the public what it wants” — but to inform, to arouse, to reflect, to state our dangers and our opportunities, to indicate our crises and our choices, to lead, mold, educate and sometimes even anger public opinion. This means greater coverage and analysis of international news — for it is no longer far away and foreign but close at hand and local. It means greater attention to improved understanding of the news as well as improved transmission. And it means, finally, that government at all levels, must meet its obligation to provide you with the fullest possible information outside the narrowest limits of national security. … And so it is to the printing press — to the recorder of man’s deeds, the keeper of his conscience, the courier of his news — that we look for strength and assistance, confident that with your help man will be what he was born to be: free and independent. — John F Kennedy, April 27, 1961
The words “truth” and “lies” have been coming up a lot since the inauguration of Donald Trump to the presidency. Mr. Trump has been president for four days and there has been nothing but the release of “Alternate Facts”, declarations and bold statements that contradict what we see and hear with our own eyes. Trump validates his success via ratings and numbers and polls, and when they don’t swing his way he declares that these numbers are false and that the media is nothing but a bunch of Fake News.
The controversy as to the attendance, in person and via television and media streaming, of his inauguration has gone on for way too long. The issue is that Press Secretary Sean Spicer made statements on Saturday that contradicted what actually happened and what was recorded by journalists, citizens and other observers at the event and around the world. The first appearance of Mr. Spicer as Press Secretary set a dangerous precedent of stating facts and painting the media as to be loaded with falsehoods, bad intentions and liars. Again, I reference George Orwell’s “1984”. We are coming dangerously close to the storyline in the famous novel.
In addition to “1984”, I can’t help but think of the original mini-series “V” and its follow-up “V: The Final Battle”. After an appearance of the antagonists, “The Visitors”, was thwarted by The Resistance and the Visitors were revealed to be who they really are, the broadcast was shut down and the journalist covering the story was shot dead. Later, a new press conference was held, completely staged, with the same audience threatened and instructed as when to applaud.
I can’t help but reflect on the fact that Mr. Trump had paid staffers in the crowd at the Press Conference before his inauguration clapping and cheering at his remarks. When the president spoke at the CIA Memorial Wall on Saturday, he used the opportunity to falsely talk about the turnout at his inauguration, slam the media a bit, attempt to reverse the fact that he and the CIA have been at odds over the possible connection between Trump’s business dealings and Russia (and perhaps Russian’s influence on our last election) and all the while there were staffers applauding his remarks. At a memorial wall that honors those that died in the line of service.
Today, Press Secretary Sean Spicer mentioned during the press briefing that the President believes that 3 to 5 million illegal immigrants cast a vote in the last election, alluding to the cause as to why Hillary Clinton actually won the popular vote. The man just can’t let this go.
According to Trump, there has been some vast conspiracy across the country that caused this rift in the electoral process, despite the fact that:
- There is absolutely no evidence to suggest that this actually happened, despite the fact that the media has been trying to somehow prove this since Election Day
- The president is doing absolutely nothing in the way of an investigation to prosecute the people that were involved in this alleged conspiracy
- The president and his administration is taking absolutely no action to assure that this sort of voter fraud will never happen again
- There is absolutely no evidence that this happened
- Do we really think that if the election was so skewed by the numbers of voters he is stating that we wouldn’t want to have a special election after determining that the potential for fraud had been eliminated? Why is Congress or no one else taking action on this?
Trump is banking on the fact that if it’s discussed enough and if it’s said enough, this blatant lie will somehow become a truth in the dialogue of the American public.
People. This is the storyline of “1984”. This is how the Nazis ascended to power in the 1930s.
I am trying my best to maintain the respect of the office of the President of the United States. I really am. But I have absolutely no respect for the man that currently holds that title and most of that is because the man is a lunatic and all evidence suggests that he is some sort of pathological liar. The man lies constantly. He keeps telling these lies so he will believe them and he hopes everyone around him does the same thing.
I don’t think the American public is that stupid. I think we’re pretty stupid, but we’re not that stupid.
If Trump was being honest all the while I could wrap my head around the fight against some of his idiotic policies. Don’t get me started about him silencing the EPA or the National Parks Commission. But when you take honesty out of the equation, it is impossible to know what to fight, what to ignore and what to focus on. A man is only as good as his word.
And right now, Trump is proving that he is completely unworthy as a man.
I’ve always thought that Trump supporters, as much as their beliefs differ from mine, believed that they were doing what they believed was right as a patriot. A patriot has honor, dignity and respect. Trump has none of these. He’s a bully. He’s deluded. And he’s a liar.
We deserve better than this.
Change.
I cannot help but reflect on these quotes from 1984 by George Orwell.
The party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.
And if all others accepted the lie which the Party imposed—if all records told the same tale—then the lie passed into history and became truth. ‘Who controls the past’ ran the Party slogan, ‘controls the future: who controls the present controls the past.’
As of this writing we are just over 48 hours into the Trump Presidency. In those 48 hours, the only statement from Press Secretary Sean Spicer is to contradict the eyes and ears of the nation and state that Trump’s inauguration was the biggest inauguration ever.
From the pbs.org website, a side by side comparison of the crowds in 2009 and 2017.
Mr. Spicer indicated that the magnetrometers used by the Secret Service to screen the audience at the 2017 Inauguration slowed the down folks from getting into the viewing area and prevented many from getting to view the historic event.
The Press Secretary also said that white protective coverings were used for the first time for this inauguration, and the white coverings highlighted any empty space.
When confronted with the blatant inaccuracies of Press Secretary Spicer’s statements during the conference yesterday, Kellyanne Conway told NBC’s Chuck Todd that they were “Alternate Facts”.
They were lies. Spinning lies as “Alternate Facts” brings us to the quote posted at the beginning of this entry.
The party told you to reject the evidence of your eyes and ears. It was their final, most essential command.
The people of the United States deserve better than this. We deserve to be told the truth. We deserve to have a president that was elected by a majority vote. We deserve to be treated with respect, dignity, fairness and most importantly, as human beings with eyes and ears and a functioning brain.
Kellyanne Conway is banking on societal apathy. Trump is banking on apathy. Spicer is just destroying any credibility he may have right out of the gate.
I’m frustrated. What can I do, Joe Fairly Average citizen, to help further positive change in our country? I have asked myself, “what can I do?”
For one, I have been very vocal since Trump took office. Vocal on Twitter, somewhat vocal on Facebook and now, vocal on my blog. I have found a reason to blog responsibly again.
Secondly, I started a petition at change.org today. This is my first time doing such a thing and I don’t know what the outcome will be. If you agree with the petition I have started, please follow the link and make your voice heard. Spread the word.
Please follow me on Twitter. Yesterday I spent much of the day sharing the news of marches around the world. I was so proud to see the millions of people protesting in the Women’s March, across seven continents around the world. I shared photos and stories and evidence that there is strong motivation in our country to keep us moving forward. We need to keep up that momentum.
We need our progress to keep moving in a forward direction. We want to embrace the 21st century, not retreat back to the 1950s.
We can do this. But it’s going to take a lot of work, a lot of dedication and a lot of patience.
I am ready to do my part. Are you?
Best.
I will not be watching the inauguration tomorrow. I will be working hard at my job, strengthening the company I work for that connects Americans to one another and earning money to support my family. I will strive to solidify our future which may be plagued with uncertainty due to the change in presidential administration. We are outside of the “norm” and must do what we can to make sure we are protected no matter what legislators try to do.
I believe that a good citizen contributes more than you take, works hard, earns your way and builds your own existence. Good citizenship, good morals and good values all make the true wealth of a person. None of this is inherited or given to you through handouts. I don’t care what color, sex, creed, race or sexual orientation you are. I don’t care who you pray to or if you don’t feel the need to pray. We all have our own set of beliefs and abilities. And we should use those abilities to learn, to grow and to be our absolute best. And tomorrow, I will be doing what best makes me a good American.
Response.
So yesterday I saw this tweet go by on my Twitter stream.
I tweeted back at Rosie O’Donnell with a response. Honestly, I feel like folks are just disregarding the intelligence from, well, the Intelligence folks in D.C. because they were told that it’s all fake news.
One of my biggest criticisms of the Democratic Party is that they seem to have no fire, no feistiness, no desire to be on the offense. I have heard very little about any sort of investigation into the claims that Russia influenced the elections or their ties with Trump and/or associates. This is frustrating. The Republicans spent millions and millions of dollars to go after President Clinton over Monica Lewinsky. The Republicans have spent millions and millions of dollars to investigate Hillary Clinton endlessly. The Republicans have spent millions and millions of dollars trying to stop anything and everything that President Obama did during his term.
The Democrats need to get their act together. Now.
I received many tweets hurled back in my direction in response to my response to Rosie’s tweet. Most of them were unkind. Several were just downright hateful. The majority of them carried common themes: “Trump won, get over it”, “you’re a stupid liberal, cry your liberal tears”, “stop being a special snowflake”, etc. All but two of the responses were from accounts with less than 100 followers. These folks apparently created accounts just to troll folks who speak out against Trump.
I now understand why Trump won the presidency, especially if I heard the voice of “the people”.
I mentioned this in a tweet right after the Golden Globes last week, but Viola Davis was asked what she thought about the election of Donald Trump as President. Her response nailed it. We need to work to make our country a better place by starting with the people.
We have a long journey ahead of us.
I told Earl this evening that I was losing hope. He reminded me that there is always hope, it might just not be where we are looking for it. I revised my statement and said that I see no hope in the next Presidential administration and I certainly don’t believe that the next president has any vision of hope. Darkness pervades the country right now.
It’s a struggle, but we must remain as part of the light.